Holbrook, NY - February 6, 2015 - Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating an incident where the owner of an auto detailing shop and his employee were found dead from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in Holbrook last night.
Porfiro Alvarez’s relatives went to his business, Super Auto Detail, located at 1372 Lincoln Ave., Holbrook, after they were unable to get in contact with him since Tuesday, February 3 at 7 p.m. Last night, at approximately 6:15 p.m., relatives contacted police after they were unable to make entry because the building was locked.
Fifth Precinct officers responded, made entry and found Alvarez, 54, of Bedel St., Freeport, inside the building lying next to his 1989 GMC van that had apparently been left running. The vehicle’s ignition was on, the heat was set on high and it appears that it had run out of gas. Officers found Alvarez’s employee, Jose Rufino Gonzalez, 25, of Hoffman Ave., Bellport, lying on a mattress in the back of the van.
A physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner pronounced both men dead at the scene. It appears that Alvarez and Gonzalez, who occasionally slept at the business, were apparently overcome by the carbon monoxide fumes that emanated from the van.